'The Godfather of A.I.' leaves Google and warns of danger ahead

Geoffrey Hinton, formerly one of the most respected voices in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), has resigned from Google, citing growing concerns about the dangers posed by generative AI, the technology that powers popular chatbots like ChatGPT.

A.I. systems could be as important as the introduction of the web browser in the early 1990s and could lead to breakthroughs in areas ranging from drug research to education. However, experts like Hinton warn of the potential risks associated with the technology, and are becoming increasingly vocal in stating the tech industry’s aggressive approach towards creating products based on generative artificial intelligence may lead to severe consequences.

Many industry insiders worry that they are releasing something dangerous into the wild. Generative A.I. can already be a tool for misinformation. Soon, it could be a risk to jobs. Somewhere down the line, experts say it could be a risk to humanity itself. Geoffrey Hinton, often called the “Godfather of A.I.”, now regrets much of his life’s work.

While scientist Eric Horvitz, chief scientific officer at Microsoft, warns of the risks of AI alongside Hinton, many others refute Hinton’s claims, stating the threat is hypothetical. Like many experts in the field, Hinton believes a global regulation is required. Although this is unlikely, he suggests that key scientists control the development by scaling it back until safety measures are defined.

The use of artificial intelligence on the battlefield, “robot soldiers” is another area of concern for Hinton, who believes future versions of the technology pose a threat to humanity because they learn unexpected behavior from the vast amounts of data they analyze.